The present invention relates to an angled coaxial electrical connector device, serving in particular to enable a coaxial cable to be connected to a base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5, 277, 590 discloses an electrical connector enabling a coaxial cable to be connected to a connector element which is fixed to a panel, for example. The connector comprises an outer body receiving two subassemblies that are free to turn about two respective axes of rotation that are perpendicular. Those subassemblies are put into place in the outer body so as to be free to turn by means of rings. That known connector has a large number of parts and requires a relatively large number of operations to be performed when assembling the parts.
There thus exists a need for an angled coaxial connector device that is free to turn about an axis and that is easy to make.
The invention achieves this by a novel angled coaxial electrical connector device comprising a support element suitable for fixing on a base and a coaxial connector element suitable for being assembled with said support element, the connector element comprising first and second generally tubular portions interconnected in particular via a right angle, the first portion including a coaxial contact element and the second portion being suitable for receiving a coaxial cable, wherein one of the elements taken from the connector element and the support element has at least one housing and the other element has at least one portion in relief suitable for engaging in said housing and capable of moving therein, the housing and the portion in relief also being arranged in such a manner that when the connector element and the support element are assembled together, the connector element is free to turn at least through part of a revolution relative to the support element about an axis of rotation associated with the support element.
By means of the invention, the connector element is free to turn relative to the support element through at least a fraction of a revolution by means of a housing and a portion in relief that can be made directly on said elements and that do not require additional elements such as rings to be fitted.
The device of the invention is thus simple and economic to make.
It is advantageous to make a housing that extends over an angle of 360xc2x0 since the connector element can then occupy all possible angular orientations about the above-mentioned axis of rotation.
It is thus possible to manufacture a single type of connection device suitable for occupying different angular orientations, and suitable for replacing different types of connector, thereby reducing costs, in particular by improved stock management.
When the connector element and the support element are assembled together, the axis of rotation preferably coincides with the axis of the first tubular portion.
In an embodiment of the invention, the portion in relief is suitable for snap-fastening in the housing, thus making the support element and the connector element particularly simple and quick to assemble together.
The portion in relief can be made on the support element and the housing can be made in the connector element.
Advantageously, the portion in relief comprises an elastically deformable tab and the housing comprises an annular groove, said tab being suitable for sliding in said annular groove.
The annular groove can be made in the outside surface of the first tubular portion over a fraction thereof situated in front of the connection zone between the first and second tubular portions.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the connector element comprises a body on which the first and second circularly tubular portions are made.
In an embodiment of the invention, prior to being put into place in the support element, the connector element is preassembled, i.e. it already has all of its component elements.
The support element preferably comprises a box presenting an inside cavity suitable for receiving at least part of the first tubular portion of the connector element.
This cavity preferably presents a cross-section that is generally circular and that matches the outside section of the first tubular portion.
The box can be made of a plastics material.
The above-mentioned elastically-deformable tab is advantageously made integrally with the above-mentioned box.
The box can have an outside shape selected so as to provide a keying function for the connector device, the outside shape of the box possibly being substantially that of a rectangular block, for example.
The support element can be arranged so as to be fixed to a base by snap-fastening, in particular it can have an orifice suitable for receiving a portion in relief on the base.
The support element may include a locking element that is movable between first and second positions, the first position allowing the connector element to be mounted in the support element and the second position preventing the connector element from being withdrawn from the support element while allowing the connector element to turn freely.
The locking element advantageously comprises an orifice for passing said first tubular portion and a solid region adjacent to said orifice and suitable for engaging in a groove of the connector element when the locking element is in the second locking position.
The invention also provides an angled coaxial electrical connector device comprising a box suitable for being fixed on a base, and a coaxial connector element suitable for being assembled with said box and having first and second generally tubular portions having respective perpendicular axes, the first portion including a coaxial contact element and the second portion being suitable for receiving a coaxial cable, the box having an inside cavity suitable for receiving at least part of said first tubular portion, and one of the elements selected from the connector element and the box including a housing formed by an annular groove and the other element including at least one portion in relief, each such portion in relief comprising an elastically deformable tab suitable for snap-fastening in said annular groove, said tab being suitable for sliding in said annular groove when the connector element and the box are assembled together, whereby the connector element is free to turn relative to the box about an axis of rotation associated with the box.